Children Experiencing Domestic Violence: A Research Review (2011)

Responding effectively to children’s experience of domestic violence is a major challenge for those planning and delivering children’s social care services. This is in part because children’s experience of domestic violence is so widespread. Chapter 2 of this review presents the latest UK prevalence figures, which show that nearly a quarter of young adults have been exposed to at least one incident of domestic violence in their lifetime (Radford et al forthcoming 2011). Subsequent to the Adoption and Children Act 2002, which defined exposure to domestic violence as a form of significant harm, children’s social care departments in England and Wales have experienced a high volume of police notifications of domestic violence incidents in families with children, which has been described as overwhelming for some areas (Social Services Inspectorate of Wales 2004; Ofsted 2008; Laming 2009).

Domestic violence is deeply embedded in the pattern of family life in some communities so that victims, perpetrators and children may not recognise or define their experiences as domestic violence and this constitutes a barrier to seeking help. Moreover, it is usually a hidden experience that occurs away from public view. Bringing it out of the private sphere of the family and exposing it to wider social scrutiny can evoke shame and stigma (McGee 2000; Mullender et al 2002; Gorin 2004; Buckley et al 2007). Fears of reprisals from violent partners will also act to inhibit disclosure. Awareness of the harm domestic violence can inflict on children is increasing, but this knowledge can make parents reluctant to acknowledge that their children are living with domestic violence. Fears that social work intervention will entail children’s removal into care may compound this reluctance and such fears are expressed both by parents and by children themselves (McGee 2000; Stanley et al 2010c).